Forecast

New fabric line is a 1st for One Kings Lane

By Christina Hennessy| on
July 13, 2018

Debbie Propst, above, is president of One Kings Lane, whose designer fabrics appear in The Shade Store, right. A mix of vintage and contemporary textiles, below, speak to growing trend of mixing prints and patterns. less

Debbie Propst, above, is president of One Kings Lane, whose designer fabrics appear in The Shade Store, right. A mix of vintage and contemporary textiles, below, speak to growing trend of mixing prints and ... more

Photo: Bob Luckey Jr. / Hearst Connecticut Media

Photo: Bob Luckey Jr. / Hearst Connecticut Media

Image
1of/9

Caption

Close

Image 1 of 9

Debbie Propst, above, is president of One Kings Lane, whose designer fabrics appear in The Shade Store, right. A mix of vintage and contemporary textiles, below, speak to growing trend of mixing prints and patterns. less

Debbie Propst, above, is president of One Kings Lane, whose designer fabrics appear in The Shade Store, right. A mix of vintage and contemporary textiles, below, speak to growing trend of mixing prints and ... more

Photo: Bob Luckey Jr. / Hearst Connecticut Media

New fabric line is a 1st for One Kings Lane

1 / 9

Back to Gallery

Behind Debbie Propst are the swatches she hopes will inspire others to give their windows more than a passing glance.

Developed from the creative minds of her design team at One Kings Lane, the patterns cover contemporary and classic designs, drawn from age-old cultures, locales and the night sky.

“I think of this for a nursery,” she says, her hand resting lightly on Starry Night, one of eight new patterns the high-end décor company created for The Shade Store for use in Roman shades and drapery. In this case, she has found her way to the twinkly stars for the blue version of the design, which also can be had in gray and beige.

The president of One Kings Lane has returned to an old haunt this afternoon, meeting and mingling with fans of the new fabric line at the custom window covering company’s Greenwich store. She used to lived about two blocks from the store. In the fall of 2016, she moved with her family to a 1950s farmhouse designed by the late American architect Royal Barry Wills in New Canaan.

“I’ve lived in a total of eight houses, ranging from a classic cottage in England to a modern structure in Barcelona,” Propst says. “This area of Connecticut really reminds me of my upbringing in the south of England, with its authentic countryside-style way of life — and I absolutely love the mix of traditional and modern architecture and design throughout.”

A post shared by One Kings Lane (@onekingslane) on Jun 27, 2018 at 8:15am PDT

When it came time to create the eight designs, One Kings Lane designers transformed vintage textile and contemporary fashion into new looks. “Timeless” and “versatile” were guiding principles for layering color and patterns. There is nothing heavy or dark about them, but rather they offer a modern-day look for one of the more enduring elements of home décor. Shades may have started out centuries ago as barriers for dirt and debris, but the centuries have transformed them into a fashion-forward accent that maintains utilitarian functions, such as keeping out light and providing privacy.

Propst, who has been with the company since 2012, is a fan of the flexibility of these ancient wonders, and incorporated The Shade Store shades in rooms in her home, which could be seen when she opened the house as a living showcase early in 2017.

A proponent of mixing genres and eras, Propst’s design aesthetic is a mirror of her lifestyle. She has a home that is chic and comfortable — one that straddles the two worlds she occupies, the life of a daily commuter to New York City and a mother who enjoys time with her family on weekends.

It is with that approach the design team came up with the fabric line. They created modern looks for ancient Celtic symbols and Persian patterns, took whimsical approaches to traditional toile patterns and botanical prints and crafted strong geometric designs with a soft touch.

For those who eschew heavy, ornate drapes, shades offer a sleek and modern alternative, in light fabrics that make it easy to mix and match, said Ian Gibbs, co-founder and chief creative officer of The Shade Store.

Fans of Propst’s aesthetic and the brand’s offerings are responding with enthusiasm, Gibbs adds. For years, the two companies worked together on makeover projects and showroom design, but this collaboration marks a first. It is One Kings Lane inaugural foray into window design.

While some of the new fabric designs might speak to a particular setting in Propst’s mind, such as the celestial nursery, she also wants to leave design choices up to the people who will live with them every day.

“The decision to develop this new collection was really influenced by our customers, and their desire to express their unique style in every aspect of the home,” she says.

It takes a journey to make a home uniquely yours, and she hopes to steer her company to other collaborations that result in unique, one-of-a-kind items and elements. This year, the company also developed a paint collection of 32 hues.

“For me, and for One Kings Lane as a brand, it’s all about the mix,” Propst said. “I love to mix traditional staples with modern and global influences, with unexpected touches of humor along the way.”